Highlights
- Kawhi Leonard’s success and playoff performances overshadow his occasional injuries, unlike others criticized for missing games.
- Joel Embiid’s lacking playoff success and individual stats fuel criticism, unlike Leonard’s impactful postseason history.
- Rings and deep playoff runs matter, explaining why Leonard doesn’t face the same level of criticism as Embiid.
It didn’t take long for Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard to establish himself as one of the more dominant two-way players in recent history.
Selected 15th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers, the San Antonio Spurs would trade for Leonard the same night in a package that included guard George Hill.
It took time, but Leonard would eventually earn a starting role for the Spurs as a three-and-D specialist. And in his third year, Leonard would play a key role in the Spurs dismantling of the LeBron James-led Miami Heat in the 2014 NBA Finals.
The future for Leonard was promising. Back to back Defensive Player of the Year awards placed him in the top-10 players in the league according to many across the league.
And then the injuries came. But unlike so many others who have suffered injury after injury, Leonard does not receive the same levels of criticism. Compared to a player like the Philadelphia 76ers, Joel Embiid, who has missed considerable time from injuries, Leonard’s criticisms do not come close.
So why is it Leonard, who has once again begun the playoffs with an injury designation, doesn’t receive the same criticism as a player like Embiid?
Fighting Through Adversity
Injuries have not kept Leonard from building up an impressive resume
Success cures all ailments, or so they say. Any issues that exist in a team can usually be put to rest or on hold due to winning. And any time that Leonard missed throughout the regular season/playoffs can be excused due to his playoff resume and the rings he brought multiple franchises.
|
Kawhi Leonard – Playoff Games Missed |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Year |
Games Missed |
Result |
|
2017 |
4 |
Lost in WC Finals |
|
2018 |
5 |
Lost in WC Round 1 |
|
2021 |
8 |
Lost in WC Finals |
|
2023 |
3 |
Lost in WC Round 1 |
|
2024 |
1 |
TBD |
Although his injuries didn’t begin in ernest until the 2017 season, Leonard had already played a pivotal part in the Spurs winning a title. So, when he aggravated an ankle injury against the Golden State Warriors in the 2017 Western Conference Finals that sidelined him for the remainder of the series, his impact could be felt. So much so that the Spurs would get swept by the eventual champions in the Warriors.
The following year, Leonard would suffer a right-quadriceps injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the 2018 season. Leonard’s camp would disagree with the Spurs on the severity of the injury, leading to Leonard’s departure for the Toronto Raptors.
And it is Leonard’s lone year in Toronto that shows why he does not receive the same criticism as a player like Embiid.
His lone year in the eastern conference, the 2018-2019 season, Leonard would lead the Raptors to a semifinal matchup with Embiid and the 76ers.
Two Different Players
Embiid just hasn’t gotten it done in the postseason
Leonard outperformed Embiid in almost every statistic and sunk a last-second three to send the 76ers home as the cherry on top.
Contrast with Embiid’s playoff career that has been marred and lined with disappointments. In the same playoff series against the 2018 Raptors, Embiid would only average 17.6 points per game, an almost ten-point difference from his 2018 regular season average.
|
Joel Embiid – Career Playoff Stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Category |
Regular Season |
Postseason |
|
PPG |
27.9 |
24.7 |
|
RPG |
11.2 |
10.8 |
|
FG% |
50.4% |
46.2% |
|
Scoring efficiency |
1.529 |
1.454 |
Embiid’s individual decline during the playoffs isn’t the only negative mark on his record, his team’s overall success also leaves much to be desired. Embiid hasn’t missed as many playoff games as Leonard, he only has eight. But a combination of missing games and a falloff in production has raised cause for concern.
Since Embiid entered the league, the 76ers have gone to the playoffs six times excluding this season. Embiid has never advanced past the second round.
Yes, Embiid has performances in the playoffs that stand out as not only some of the best in franchise history, but some of the best opposing teams have allowed in their home buildings. For example, Embiid’s 50-point performance against the New York Knicks on Thursday night.
A lack of team success and a drop in production makes Embiid a prime candidate for criticism. That is why Leonard doesn’t receive the same critiques as Embiid. Rings matter, and not only does Embiid have no rings, he hasn’t even made a deep playoff run.
And with the 76ers down 2-1 against the Knicks, Embiid is likely to continue to receive criticism that Leonard does not.
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